What is ASAP?

Our Aim

To improve access to Australia's scientific, technological and medical heritage by helping to preserve records and artifacts and communicating the existence of this heritage to a wide audience.

Our Objectives

Identification and Preservation

ASAP aims to play an active role in the identification of records and artifacts of historical value that add to our understanding of the history of Australian science, technology and medicine. ASAP is proactive in the identification of valuable materials and in acting to prevent their loss.

Documentation

ASAP provides professional archival, historical and records management services, with the aim of helping to manage and document those records significant to our scientific, technological and medical heritage, for both individual clients and the wider community.

Communication

ASAP communicates the significance of Australia's scientific, medical and technological heritage to both the general and research communities, and aims to present the history of Australian science to an international audience. ASAP also promotes the importance of sound records management and archival practice to scientists and technologists to further their understanding of the importance of their own records and heritage.

Participation

ASAP works to encourage cooperative links between heritage institutions with the aim of fostering understanding, interaction and the development of shared goals. We also seek to develop international relationships with related bodies in order to ensure that our work meshes with similar work being performed overseas, and to assist the professional development of our staff.

ASAP's products and services are designed to meet the specific
needs of its individual and corporate clients, within the framework
of its national cultural responsibilities. As a professional archival body, ASAP uses leading-edge database and computer technologies to ensure that our products are efficient and effective and match
current archival and business needs.

ASAP makes information about Australia's scientific heritage
widely available and acts as a national resource centre. Our
Internet site (ASAPWeb) provides a variety of resources relating to the history of science, technology and medicine. ASAP promotes the use of the World Wide Web within the archival and heritage communities and offers guidance and support to related organisations seeking to develop their own online resources.

Safeguarding Our Scientific Memory

ASAP believes that information about the people, context and
history behind scientific achievement is vitally important. Without
this knowledge, it is impossible to accurately trace the development
of scientific ideas, changes in practice, and institutional structures
and organisation. Unfortunately, the survival of such knowledge
cannot be assumed, and its loss may have an enormous impact on
future scientific endeavour, along with broader cultural, legal
and financial ramifications. The preservation of memory has to
be tackled at all levels of society, from the individual, family,
corporate, and government, to the broad national and international
levels.

ASAP is proactive in the identification and preservation of records
and artifacts important to Australian scientific, technological
and medical heritage and undertakes archival and historical work
on the records of individual scientists and scientific, technical
and medical societies.

ASAP communicates the significance of this heritage to both the
general and research communities, and aims to present the history
of Australian science to an international audience. However,
awareness of preservation issues needs to be instigated at the
time of records-creation so ASAP also promotes the importance
of sound records management and archival practice to scientists
and technologists. This in turn helps to further their understanding
of the importance of their own records, heritage and contributions
to society.

ASAP offers professional advice and project management across
the full spectrum of archives, records management and information
services. ASAP services include project planning and management,
surveying, backlog processing, appraisal and scheduling, establishment
of in-house archives and records programs, imaging of records,
provision of software, and on-going advice and support for clients.

These services are based on the ASAP Archives and Records Program
model (ARP) and the ASAP Archival Data-management System (ADS).
The ARP provides the conceptual and strategic framework that
enables the systematic documentation of records. The ADS, a combination
of methods and database software, provides the tools to implement
an Archives and Records Program. This flexible methodology can
be applied equally well to detailed descriptions of records of
individuals or societies through to the management of records
holdings within complex environments.

ASAP has successfully completed projects for archival repositories,
scientific institutions, a variety of heritage organisations,
families and individuals as well as some of the largest single
archives and records projects ever attempted in Australia for
the power and pharmaceutical industries.

Information Services

ASAP is constantly looking at new ways to provide imaginative,
informative and accessible resources for the history of Australian
science, technology and medicine. The Internet, through ASAPWeb,
enables these resources to reach both local and international
audiences, and ASAPWeb has become one of the principal
sites in the world for information on the history of science,
technology and medicine.

Research and Development

ASAP maintains an active research and development program funded
through industry collaborations and the Australian Research Council.
It is designed to develop innovative archive and record-keeping
products and services that not only meet current industry and
business needs but also promote the practice of responsible and
accountable science.

Recent studies have shown that although sound record-keeping
practices are essential to the successful conduct of science,
few scientists or science administrators take adequate care or
have sufficient knowledge to implement workable archives and records
programs. The advent of electronic records keeping has made this
an especially urgent task.

Outreach and Collaboration

ASAP works to encourage cooperative links between heritage institutions
with the aim of fostering understanding, interaction and the development
of shared goals. This extends to the development of international
relationships with similar bodies to ensure that our work meshes
with that being performed overseas. These activities assist the
professional development of ASAP staff and help ensure that ASAP
is aware of the latest advances in archives and records management